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Pak Studies Geography IGCSEprinted 35 · PDF 35
162 pagesrevision 46929
printed 35 · PDF 35
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Disputes arise from perceptions of unfair control of canal headworks and
shortages during dry seasons.
International Conflicts:
○ Tensions with India over river control projects on western rivers, viewed
by Pakistan as treaty violations.
○ The Kishanganga Dam and Baglihar Hydroelectric Project disputes are
notable examples of diplomatic confrontation.
The provincial dispute over Khanpur Dam arises between Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Punjab regarding control and distribution of water
from the dam.
Although the dam is physically located in KPK (Haripur District) and fed by the
Haro River, most of its stored water is supplied to Islamabad and Rawalpindi,
both situated in the Punjab region and the Federal Capital Territory.
KPK’s local communities and authorities argue that they receive insufficient
water for local irrigation and domestic use, despite the dam being within their
province and affecting their environment and livelihoods.
They claim that the federal and Punjab authorities benefit disproportionately,
while KPK bears the social and ecological costs of the dam’s presence, such as
reduced river flow, land submergence, and limited agricultural water
availability.
This has led to repeated complaints and protests from residents of Haripur
District, demanding greater water allocation, compensation, or royalty
payments for the use of their province’s water resources.
Punjab and federal authorities, on the other hand, maintain that Khanpur
Dam was constructed as a national-level project under WAPDA, meant to
serve multi-provincial and federal interests, especially ensuring urban water
supply for the twin cities (Rawalpindi–Islamabad).
The dispute reflects a broader issue of inter-provincial inequity and the
political sensitivity of water management in Pakistan, where resource location
and benefit distribution often do not align, causing tensions over fairness and
provincial rights.